Vemmuxileth Kiljhan

The First Noble

Vemmuxileth Kiljhan was a Draconian Village Chief of the Bardic village of Ealla, known best for being not just the first Eallan, but the first Draconian to be promoted to nobility.

History

Vemmuxileth Kiljhan was born in the village of Ealla, known best for its bards, in the age before the Draconian people were unified. He was the final chief of a truly independent Ealla, and knew nothing else for most of his life.
Upon his birth, he was introduced to a harsh world. The bards of Ealla often struggled to produce a surplus of resources, and were almost constantly embroiled in a war, either with one of the other Draconian settlements or with the Secci Gnomes of Lebalos.
His parents were not around much, as they were some of the more prominent bards in the various war efforts in that era. Due to this, Kiljhan was raised by the community. Sing-alongs in the parks, free concerts at the Eallan stages, and readings of famous works in Eallan libraries helped Kiljhan to learn what path he wished to walk, and the few times he did get to see his parents, Ethtashtakax and Myuumstutush Kiljhan, they greeted him coldly, as they hardly recognized him as the boy they'd left behind.

Eltec Nurdesh by Jarhed

Kiljhan detested the ongoing wars, and more than anything, sought a way to end them. For this, as he grew, he became prominent for the anti-war messages in his songs, and many began gathering around Vemmuxileth Kiljhan as an up-and-coming bard.

Eltec Nurdesh and Tamd

However, his message was not a sign of good faith to everyone. While many Eallans began to embrace the idea of peace, their enemies were not as welcoming to it, particularly their ancient rivals, the alchemists of Tamd.
Rising to prominence at the same time as Kiljhan, the alchemist Eltec Nurdesh rallied Tamd around a different message.

Species

Draconians

Life

829 AE 752 AE 77 years old

Birthplace

Ealla

Place of Death

Zephys

Parents

Myuumstutush Kiljhan

Ethtashtakax Kiljhan

Gender

Man

Hair

Split black and gray, puffy and curly.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Orange and black scales

Height

9'2"

Belief/Deity

Helle

Opposition to Ealla in any way possible.
Nurdesh was not alone in this, nor was Tamd. If not for an ongoing war between the other Draconian settlements, Bortan and Evity, that was going on at the same time, Nurdesh likely could have even won over some Bortanni and Evitian warriors to help him oppose Kiljhan. Instead, he could only get Secci Gnomes to help him.
Many of Vemmuxileth Kiljhan's concerts and events were attacked, then, by Tamdians and Gnomes alike. While Nurdesh hoped this would either kill Kiljhan or convince him to stop, it only invigorated his supporters and convinced more Eallans that Kiljhan was right.
This infuriated Nurdesh, and convinced him he needed to increase his efforts. However, he had given more power to Kiljhan than he'd wanted.

Village Chief

In -806, at 23 years old, Vemmuxileth Kiljhan was selected by the Chief as his successor, and the title was passed down to him. As Village Chief, all of Ealla was now under Kiljhan's command.

Kilprax Ildial by Jarhed

He focused largely on peaceful policies at first. Reforms around Eallan sectors that the more war-focused Chiefs ignored, like education and childcare, as well as agriculture.
However, peace was too good to be true, and as the provocations of Eltec Nurdesh (who had also become Chief of Tamd around the same time) increased, Vemmuxileth Kiljhan soon had no choice, or at the very least he claimed he did. War was declared two years into his term as Chief in -804.
Kiljhan lost much of his support overnight, and more as time went on. The anti-war Chief had declared war after enough provocation, and had betrayed his base. The war was disastrous for Ealla, and persisted for decades, until finally in -785, Kiljhan sued for peace.
Nurdesh, however, denied his peace. The war continued until Kilprax Ildial arrived.

The Grand Wizard's Offer

Kilprax Ildial was the first Grand Wizard, the most powerful mage in Draconian territory, and he wanted to unite the Draconian people under one nation. He did not intend to take away the power of the Chiefs, but instead to have them work together.
For this, he ended their wars and asked them to join him. To incentivize them further, he offered all current Chiefs a title as nobles, and land in the upper level of his new city: Zephys.
This sounded like an incredible deal to Kiljhan. The peace he wanted, an escape from his citizens who hated him, and a wealthy position as the first of the upper class of the new Draconian society. He accepted almost instantly, the first Chief to do so, and fled Ealla the next day, never to return.
Eltec Nurdesh submitted just as Kiljhan did. It was unpopular at first, as many feared that Nurdesh had betrayed his promise of opposition to Ealla. However, Nurdesh did later speak on the issue, saying:

"Tell me, is it better to oppose Ealla and the whole of the Draconian people that stand beside them as we stand alone, or would you rather oppose them from within? Here, we stand a better chance at making a difference with our opposition, as our voices are on even footing with the bards."

— Eltec Nurdesh

The Bortanni and Evitian Chiefs submitted not long after, as they took longer to end their war. Before they had even fully agreed, a new village had been settled and a third noble chosen: the first Chief of newly settled Yirthum, Accith Durzire.

Accith Durzire by Jarhed

Kiljhan did not think highly of Durzire, nor did he find this venture to be one he thought would have much success.

"A united Draconian people? Does Ildial not see that each and every one of us was at war with each other when he arrived? It is a fruitless quest... yet I shall not deny a moment of the prosperity I have seen so far. I simply say it cannot last. We are a splintered folk, we have been since the War of Creation, and that will not change."

— Vemmuxileth Kiljhan

The Magic College

Even after he had been out of the position of Chief for some twenty years, it was partially on Vemmuxileth Kiljhan to choose three representatives for Ealla when Kilprax Ildial opened the Magic College of Zephys. Working alongside the Chief of Ealla that had replaced him, Kiljhan particularly was the one responsible for choosing to send Tobor Tuldad as a potential candidate.
Tuldad would go on to not only place last in his class, but would betray the Draconian people to gain power and would help kill Kilprax Ildial. As his replacement, Tuldad was a puppet for the Elves and acted in opposition to Draconian interests. Many say he was the result of Kiljhan's sentiments against unity of the Draconian people, and see Kiljhan's endorsement of him as a symptom of the many failures of Vemmuxileth Kiljhan.

Tobor Tuldad by Jarhed

The Kiljhan Festival

Kiljhan did not only act negatively, however. As noble, he did spend the wealth he was given on charitable causes and towards the prosperity of his new home, Zephys.
However, Kilprax Ildial was displeased with Kiljhan's actions, as he had intended for the nobility to serve as representatives and faces for the villages in the Draconian nation, and the fact that Kiljhan had fled Ealla meant he was now disconnected from his people. So, Ildial ordered Kiljhan to do something to gain the favor of the Eallan people.
So Kiljhan started a tradition: the Kiljhan Festival. An annual festival, the first of the Festivals of Ealla, which would be open only to Eallans.
Whoever wins the festival, according to the judges, is granted the title "Lord of Music" for that year, and wins a cash prize. The title also grants privileges that are otherwise only given to Village Chiefs and nobles.
Kiljhan never saw the fruits of his labor, nor the evils he spawned in the Draconian nation. He never visited Ealla to see the festival he created.
He died at a feast he hosted some years later. Some claim it was Tamdian poison, others say he choked to death on his meal. Either way, he died in peace, as he always wanted.